Megliola: Good times ahead in The Hub

Monday

It starts now. You live around here? Love sports? This is your time. We'll begin in the present. That would be the Red Sox. (We'll get to your other teams in a minute).

It starts now.

You live around here? Love sports? This is your time.

We'll begin in the present. That would be the Red Sox. (We'll get to your other teams in a minute). Two things: You want the Red Sox to cut the Yankees off, and they can do that, with six games left between the two antagonists. You don't even want to see the Yankees make the postseason. And if you're asking me why, then please turn to another section of the paper.

The Sox and Yankees play three at the Stadium starting Tuesday. Sox sweep and the Yankees are deader than Boy George's career. Yankees sweep and there's panic on Yawkey Way. It's going to be a telling month no matter what.

It'd be great if David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez finish with a bit of a flair. Sure, 90 percent of the guys in the big leagues would offer up their first-born for their stats, but we know the score. Big Papi and Manny can do better.

Or maybe not. Ortiz's aches and pains have been well-chronicled. He's been a stud in the clutch for so long we almost took him for granted. Not the case this season. But there are 31 games left. Can Big Papi find the old magic?

With Manny, always a conundrum unto himself, you wonder if we're seeing the start of his decline, at 35. Too many DPs; too many K's. Either Manny or Ortiz coming up with a flashy September would mean a lot. But let's face it, they work better as a duet, not as solo acts.

I'm dying to see how that plays out.

I want to know if Eric Gagne is a fraud, if Hideki Okajima, no secret any more, can spit in the eye of the pressure he's going to face the rest of the way, including any games in October. As for the starters, we're just not sure if Curt Schilling is the big-game hunter he once was. And I'd be worried that a number of excellent Dice-K's starts were wasted because of anemic offense.

As the promising Red Sox season winds down, the Patriots will be kicking in. We indeed are lucky souls. Can you recall a new Pats season that had fans drooling like this one? Of the four preseason games the more valid indicator is the third one, which means the Patriots' performance Friday in Carolina, a 24-7 win, stoked the coals even more.

Feel a little better now about Laurence Maroney? Thought so. Coach Bill has mixed and matched his defense so that you don't know who's going to play what position and when, but I sorta trust the guy, know what I mean?

Oh, and the QB. Maybe Tom Brady doesn't know how to change a diaper yet (like you care), but he can fly from one coast to another after seeing his kid for the first time, deplane, scoot over to a football field and drive the Panthers defense nuts.

We haven't even seen Randy Moss yet. Like royalty, he's showing up late at the ball. But that's all right. It's even okay if Moss isn't his old self. At last count, Brady had about 51 guys he can throw to. Moss is just one of them. He can be only an appendage to this offense or comeback player of the year. That's a wide range. Can't wait to see how it plays out.

The Patriots have a tough schedule; still, nothing less than winning - not just making it to, winning the Super Bowl will do. It's a lot to live up to. But at least there's a good chance.

Celtics media day in recent years have been about as sexy as an ornitholigists' convention. Different story this time. Where do you start? Who do you take your notebook, TV camera or tape recorder to first? So many choices. Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce. They're the ones who have people around here actually thinking about another NBA season. That's progress right there.

When Danny Ainge was entrusted with the fortunes of this beat-up franchise he went with the youth movement. It didn't make the Celtics playoff regulars. The gutsy Ainge (the guy would trade his grandmother for a bag of balls) has made it a veteran team with unlimited possibilities. That's right, the Celtics.

Reggie Miller didn't make it to the party. Fine. I'd rather have James Posey. Eddie House ain't bad either. Media covering the Celtics sure hope rookie Glen Davis makes the team. If he can play half as well as he can talk, it's a given.

Sox, Pats, Celtics. Good stuff, all if it. And aren't the Revs the best team in the MLS?

You thought I forgot the Bruins? Nope. But I'm trying to.

Lenny Megliola is a MetroWest (Mass.) Daily News columnist. His e-mail is lennymegs@aol.com.

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